Richard Pennington, left, together with his colleagues in the Committee to Bring "Jikji" Back to Korea, an NGO he formed last year, poses for a photo holding the committee's symbol banner at Heungdeok Temple in Cheongju on Sept. 12. / Courtesy of Pennington

By Jun Ji-hye

Richard Pennington, an American living in Seoul, is leading a campaign calling for France to return "Jikji," the oldest existing metal-plate-printed book, to Korea.

A native of Texas in the U.S., who is currently working at a law firm as an editor, said he first learned about "Jikji" when reading books on Korean history and culture after coming to Seoul in 2007.

Printed by the movable metal type in 1377 at Heungdeok Temple in Cheongju, the full title of "Jikji" is "Baegun Hwasang Chorok Bulji Jikji Simche Yojeol" (Mater Baegun's Excerpts from the Buddha and Patriarchs' Direction Pointing to the Essence of Mind).

The National Library of France currently holds the original copy of the book.

"My interest became much stronger in 2013 when I toured the Cheongju Early Printing Museum," Pennington said in an interview. "I had learned the amazing fact that Gutenberg did not invent the printing press. It was in fact a Korean invention before Gutenberg created his version of the printing press in Germany."

Pennington, a history major at the University of Texas, wondered why "Jikji" is in France and not Korea. Then he found out that it was allegedly bought by Victor Collin de Plancy in Seoul in 1887.

He claimed, however, that it might not have been a legitimate purchase since there is no documentation of him having bought it.

"I had my doubts about the rightness_ whether in terms of legality or morality_ of the French to retain it any longer. The fact is it was taken out of the country and has been gone now for 127 years," he said. "The French simply must be convinced that they have to let it go. ‘Jikji' is far too valuable to remain in Paris any longer."

Pennington, an author of "Travels of an American-Korean" that details 92 of the places he has been in Korea, decided to do something to have "Jikji" repatriated, bearing in mind that it is a tangible evidence Korea first invented the printing press.

He formed an NGO, named the Committee to Bring "Jikji" Back to Korea, and led the campaign over the last eight months with his colleagues.

"We have made two videos_ one in English and the other in Korean_ which can be seen on YouTube," he said. "We made up a petition in Korean, English and French in which we stated our reasons why ‘Jikji' should be returned. There are currently more than 3,700 names on the petition."

The NGO has an online petition as well and a Facebook page that is entirely devoted to "Jikji."

"We have contacted numerous people in and out of the government who may help us achieve our goal. I have done radio and television interviews, and am available to give speeches on this topic," he said.

He added the NGO plans to make a formal presentation to the Korean ambassador to France, the French ambassador to Korea and, if necessary, the National Library of France, where "Jikji" is currently held.